Monthly Archives: April 2016

I had a great time last week speaking to foundation trustees and CEOs from across Northeastern Pennsylvania, on the topic of “5 Best Practices of Extraordinary Grantmakers”. Thanks to the NEPA Alliance, NEPA Grantmakers Forum, and the Moses Taylor Foundation for hosting me! You can download your free copy of my Guide to 5 Best Practices of Extraordinary Grantmakers. Share

This blog, written by myself and Elizabeth Russell, was originally posted on the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s blog, and is reposted here with permission. The Center for Effective Philanthropy’s (CEP) new report on transparency is a very valuable tool for introspection for individual foundations — and the wider field of philanthropy — to think about how we define and deliver on our pledges to become more transparent. As many other writers on CEP’s blog have pointed out, the report shows that while foundations seem to be doing a decent — and in some cases laudable — job of communicating openly about their grantmaking priorities and processes, there is much to be done in the realm of openly sharing lessons learned, … Continue reading Transactional vs. Transformative Transparency→

The sale of a nonprofit hospital or health plan to a for-profit company can yield a great deal of change for a community, including the creation of a new, independent foundation created from the proceeds of the sale. In many cases, these new entities represent a significant new source of community wealth – and where assumptions may be that the actions of the new foundation may be closely tied to the clinical work of the hospital and the philanthropic efforts of the former hospital or health plan, the reality is often vastly different. Likewise, board members who previously served on the hospital foundation and are now on the board of the new, independent foundation may find themselves falling back on … Continue reading Similar and Different: 5 Key Shifts from Hospital Board to Private Foundation Board→